Preference over a Dying Bouquet
by Dragonflys-Girl
Summary: Apparently, the meaning of hyacinth was I’m sorry. Wondered if there were a flower that said I’m a bastard? Maybe that would have gone over better. F/A. Spoiler: Rush to Judgement.


Title: Preference over a Dying Bouquet

Author: Dragonfly's Girl aka Ki Ki

Disclaimers: Not mine. Just borrowing them to play.

Spoilers: Rush to Judgement

* * *

Don Flack growled at the overly cautious driver in command of the car in front of him. If anything, the one thing he had in very short supply at the moment was his patience. When did the people of New York all become so courteous as to let a pack of goose walk across the street?

_When you need to get somewhere fast, Donald Jr_.

Great, so now his own mind was conspiring against him as well. He really didn't need that – his life was already screwed up as it was.

Not that he could blame anyone but himself. Of course he could always have been less of a jerk but no, he had to open his mouth and secure himself a nice room in the doghouse, and hurting someone who meant so much to him in the process.

He really needed to get to that special someone – who, at the moment, was dodging his calls – and properly apologize.

Granted, he did have a lot on his mind. Having IA on his tail trying to pin the death on him would do that, but still, he really shouldn't have spoken to her like that. She was concerned, he knew. He really should just tell her he didn't know and leave it at that.

He really shouldn't have snapped at his girlfriend, especially one he was dead serious about.

Time for some serious groveling.

He arrived at her apartment building just as the first drop of rain started to fall. Great. Now he had rain to contend with as well. Grabbing the pot of hyacinth in his passenger seat, he hopped out of the car and marched up to her building.

No answer.

He tried again.

Same result.

Damn door bell. He used to like the security this building had, now he wasn't so sure.

Taking out his cell phone, he tried calling her apartment while he walked around to the apartment's parking lot, and noted that, indeed, her car was in her spot.

She should be home. Was she really so pissed that she wouldn't even let him apologize?

"Jess, it's me," he said into the answering machine. "Listen, I know you're probably very pissed at me right now, but can you please pick up? We really need to talk. At least let me in?"

Right, just his luck that she would lock him outside when it started to rain and that the pot of flower would wilt with him.

It wouldn't be much good for his peace offering to be dead, right?

Not that he was too sure about all these live flowers and the deeper meaning crap the lady threw at him – maybe he should have listened to his ex-girlfriend who went on and on about what each flower meant in different shades, or not – but that lady at the shop had made him the moment he walked into the store.

She had suggested the hyacinth, and the point that no lady wanted to receive dying flower in a bouquet.

Apparently, the meaning of hyacinth was _I'm sorry_. Wondered if there were a flower that said _I'm a bastard_? Maybe that would have gone over better.

Regardless, he planted himself right outside her apartment building and waited. Maybe she wasn't home?

But her car was in her spot, and she wasn't on call to be at work. Where would she be at 9pm on a work night?

Flipping his phone open, he pressed the speed dial for her number. Again, her cell phone got directed to her house line. He could hear the phone ringing inside.

No response still.

"Come on, Jess, pick up the phone. It's still me, and I'm standing right out here on the street, and it's really starting to rain now. Will you please let me in before someone decides to call the cops on me and lock me up? That won't go over well with IA, right?" He said, hoping his plea would somehow reach his apparently very pissed-off girlfriend. "Jess, please, just let me in? I promise I'll do all the talking and all, but, man, don't make me do it in the street."

"I would if you would just stop pacing outside my building like a stalker," her bemused voice came from behind. He literally jumped, barely preventing his peace offering from falling onto the ground.

"Jess," he felt stupid, his tongue tied and the speech he had planned to plea for his case nowhere to be found. "You're – uh – here."

She looked more amused, if that was at all possible, "Yes."

"But you aren't home," he stuttered, realizing that he was sounding more and more like an idiot.

Jessica Angell raised an elegant brow at his words, "Apparently not."

"No, no, no, what I meant was, your car was in its spot, but you weren't there," he tried to explain. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, "I thought you were home."

"Stella just dropped me off," she shrugged and turned around. Flack was slightly mortified to see Stella waving at them front inside her truck before the senior CSI took off.

"Oh God."

"Don't think God has much to do with this one," she quipped. "Well, you coming in or not?"

"Uh, yea," he agreed, and dashed forward to hold the door open for her – all the gentlemanly thing that his father had instilled upon him. It was a risk. Jess might get bristled at his attempt to do everything for her, but at the moment, he needed to show her that he cared, even in the little things.

She did shoot him a look, followed by a smile, and Don found himself returning with a bashful smile of his own.

_If she is smiling, it won't be so bad, will it?_

They got into her apartment with no trouble, and he waited patiently in the living room while she went inside to her bedroom to "get out of something."

He was curious, but he wasn't going to blow this by asking too many stupid questions.

She walked back into the living room with jeans and sweater and stood in front of him, "So? You said you wanted to say something."

He took a deep breath, and nodded.

She glanced at the answering machine. 2 messages.

"Can I assume that those 2 messages are from you as well?"

"Very likely," he answered, surprising himself with how deep and low his voice sounded.

"Don?"

"Here, this is for you," he handed the pot of hyacinth over to her.

She looked at the pot of flower and back at him, a curious smile on her face as she took the gift, "Thanks. What are they?"

He wasn't sure what he was expecting her reaction to be, but this definitely wasn't it.

"You know what their meaning is, right?" he asked, hesitantly.

She actually looked a little embarrassed and shook her head, "Four brothers, remember?"

With the pot of flower between them, both looking sheepish, Flack couldn't hold it any longer. He let out a chuckle, prompting the same from Jess, and soon they both were laughing together at the silliness of the situation.

"And here I was agonizing over this so much," he said when they had finally calmed down a little. "I was assured that all ladies will be flattered that I know enough about flowers and their meaning to pick the right one."

"Why didn't you just get a bouquet or something, if you wanted to give me flowers?"

"What? You prefer dying flowers over a thriving, living plant?"

The look she gave him clearly answered his query.

"So what brings you here?" she finally asked, settling herself on the couch.

"Listen, Jess, about that IA thing, I didn't mean to blow up at you. I know I – "

She cut him off, simply, by sealing her lips on his. He froze for a moment, startled, before beginning to respond to her kiss. His hand went around her waist and pulled her towards him. Oxygen didn't seem to matter as they clung together.

When they finally eased off of each other, they were both breathing hard. His hand, though, still resting on her hip, keeping her close.

"Jess?"

"MMmm?"

"Really, I shouldn't have been so snappy with you. I just had a lot on my mind."

"Understood," she simply responded. "Long as you won't do it again."

"Cross my heart I won't."

"Good."

He smiled, and dropped another quick kiss on her lips.

"So what does it mean?" she asked in between his assault on her lips.

"What does what mean?"

"That flower."

He pulled back, the sheepish grin reappearing on his face, "You really wanna know?"

"Uh-huh."

He glanced at her, noting her challenge, and knowing there really wasn't a way to get out of it.

"I'm sorry I was a bastard."

* * *

Ah, so this is finished... I kinda figure that I butchered their characters a little, but then, I'm allowed a little OoC here and then, right? haha, it's just... my first time writing for them and I'm still feeling my way around... I do like them though, so do let me know what you think :).

And yes, it's Wednesday, which means Truth will be coming out later as well... maybe later today or tomorrow... i have figure skating to watch today, so...


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